European stock index futures jump as coronavirus death toll slows

European stock index futures jumped more than 4 per cent on Monday as a slowdown in coronavirus death toll in France and Italy raised hopes that lockdown measures were starting to show results.

Euro Stoxx 50 futures were up 4.1 per cent at 0600 GMT, with German DAX futures and French CAC futures gaining 4.5 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively.

Italy reported its lowest daily COVID-19 death toll for more than two weeks on Sunday, while France's daily death toll from the novel coronavirus dropped and admissions into intensive care slowed.

The benchmark STOXX 600 index ended Friday with the sixth weekly decline in seven as dismal business activity data for March foreshadowed a deep economic and earnings recession due to the outbreak.

Gains for FTSE 100 futures were kept in check by reports that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was still in hospital on Monday suffering persistent coronavirus symptoms 10 days after testing positive for the virus.